


Lowlands Away

by NightwingDiva



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Dick Grayson imagine, F/M, Nightwing Imagine, Pirates AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2018-12-12 04:26:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11729472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightwingDiva/pseuds/NightwingDiva
Summary: When the famed pirate Captain Grayson kidnaps you and takes you for ransom, you find yourself facing the greatest adventure of your life.





	1. Chapter 1

This wasn’t quite how you imagined your first time aboard a ship would be.

You had managed to escape from the stifling confines of your home and found your favorite abandoned pier. It used to be a busy port for merchant ships, but a rockslide from the cliffs above made the waters to treacherous for even the strongest hulls.

You had been watching the waves break across the jagged rocks and stared into the deep swirling waters when a rough, calloused hand covered your mouth and pulled you back against the end of a pistol. Hot breath traveled from your neck to your ear as a strong voice sent a chill down your spine.

“I’m sorry about this, lass, but you really shouldn’t be out here alone.”

With that you had been dragged away from the pier and into the dense trees tracing the shore. Only once you were hidden by tropical foliage did your captor speak again.

“I don’t want to hurt you, lass. But scream or run and I’ll have no choice. Not a word. Understand?”

When you nodded in agreement he slowly removed his hand from your mouth and the pistol from the small of your back. He quickly grabbed your upper arm and started pulling you through the jungle.

You didn’t get a good look at him, but he was tall and had shaggy black hair. You had so many questions to ask but one look at the gun in his hand and the sword at his side kept you silent.

It was only when he led you to a ship sporting blue sails and a black flag did you truly understand what was happening.  
Pirates.

You were being taken by bloody _pirates_.

The leers and crude smiles of the ship’s crew cause a wave of self-consciousness to wash over you, and you cling closer to your captor while shifting your gaze to the weathered boards of the ship. He glances down at you and notes your sudden shift in discomfort.

“They won’t hurt you, lass. Not if you’re with me.” Startled, you look up at him to meet a pair of vibrant blue eyes. He turns to the crew closest to you. “Alright, men. Back to work! I want us out to sea in less than five minutes!”

The men let out a reluctant chorus of ‘Aye, Captain’s, and it hits you. Not only were you taken captive by a pirate. You were taken captive by a pirate _captain_.

This is not how you’d planned for today to go.

The captain leads you toward the rear of the ship, and as you get closer to a set of doors panic starts to set in.

Where is he taking you? What is he going to do? Is he going to torture you? Sell you? Keep you for himself? Keep you for the crew?

Before you can think about your fate any more, the captain opens one of the doors and pulls you inside, and you unconsciously close your eyes and brace yourself and prepare for the worst.

But when the captain pushes you ahead of him and releases your arm, you open your eyes to see a well-furnished cabin with a large round table in the center of the room. Royal blue curtains frame the windows along the back wall, and the bed off in the corner has much nicer bedding than you would have imagined finding on a pirate ship.

Which brings you to the realization that this must be the captain’s quarters.

You turn to face the captain, for the first time noting more than his hair and eye color. His clothes are rather shaggy in comparison to his quarters; his white linen shirt is open almost all the way down to the belts that hold his pistol and swords. His hair is held back only slightly by a dark rag. The only indication of his status as captain is the black and gray and blue trimmed brocade coat worn over his shirt.

The most distracting thing about the captain, however, is how incredibly _handsome_ he is.

Normally you would think a pirate would be as rough and grizzled as the barnacles on the hull of a ship, but not him. His eyes are bright and clear and his jaw is sharp and strong. Somehow his messy hair makes his face even prettier, and the chest his loose shirt reveals seems to be toned and strong; if you weren’t a lady of manners you might have reached out to rub your hand across his bare skin.

You take everything in in a matter of seconds, and you try not to let the pirate’s raw attraction distract you from your situation. “Well,” you say, trying again when your first attempt at speaking sounds more timid than you meant for it to be. “Get on with it.”

“What?” The captain looks at you with obvious confusion.

“You’re going to kill me right? Or rape me then kill me? That’s what you pirates do, right?” You are pleased to hear that you seem more confident than you actually are. “So don’t just stand there and hold me in suspense. If you’re going to do it then get it over with!”

“Woah now, lass.” He raises an eyebrow at your outburst and takes a step toward you as he sets you straight. “First off, I might be a pirate, but I have morals. On this ship we kill only when necessary, and never an innocent. And the idea that I would stoop to the level of scum who rape is revolting.

“Second,” he takes another step, and you cower back until you feel the round table at the back of your legs. “I told you I wouldn’t hurt you, and I’ll keep that promise. It’s obvious from the clothing you wear and the way you walk that you are a lady of status. Enough status that you should fetch a pretty penny at ransom.”

He takes another step, and he’s now close enough that you can feel the heat from his body. “What’s your name, lass?”

Somehow you manage to stutter out a response. “Y/N.”

“Y/N.” He says as if testing how it sounds rolling off his tongue. “Nobody will touch you as long as you’re in my cabin, Y/N. So why don’t you make yourself comfortable until we get this money business sorted out and you’ll be back at home in no time?”

You stare up at him for what feels like forever, trying to hide the fear in your eyes. He suddenly takes a step back and turns back to the door. “I’d rather not have to resort to tying you up or throwing you in the brig, so make this easy for the both of us and don’t try to escape. You may call me Captain Grayson if you’d like a name, lass. Though I imagine you’ll be back home before that need arises.”

You watch as he walks toward the door. He is reaching for the door when you finally manage to speak.

“What if I don’t want to go back?”

He stops and slowly turns to face you. “Excuse me?”

“I don’t want to go back.” Your heart is racing in your chest. You can’t believe what you are about to say; it’s as if the words have a mind of their own. “What if I stay here?”

“You can’t stay here.” He sends you a stern look but you refuse to back down.

“And why not?” Challenging a pirate captain is a dangerous game, but do you really have anything to lose?

The captain stutters for a moment while trying to think of a reason you might accept. “Well… Your mother and father will miss you for one thing.”

You laugh outright, causing him to look at you with a baffled expression. “You’re daft if you think that logic is going to work on me.”

When he doesn’t look like he’s going to understand what you mean, you roll your eyes and continue. “Alright, _Captain_. Do you have any idea why I was without an escort at the edge of an abandoned pier?”

“Well, I just assumed—”

You cut him off and lock eyes with him. “I feel like nothing I do is good enough for my father, for my life. I feel invisible to everyone around me. And even when I am seen I feel as though they hate my entire being. I hate my life and I hate myself. I was about to take a one way trip to Davy Jones’ Locker. So saying my mother and father will miss me is a load of shite. Because they’d live without me even if you hadn’t come along.”

Several minutes of silence pass between you, broken only by the gentle sound of waves colliding with wood as the ship cuts through the sea. For just a moment you think his eyes soften with sympathy, but it could just be the dim lighting of the cabin.

“Even so, miss. Morally, I cannot take you captive and not return you to your home. If I’ve not received word on the status of your ransom within three days, you will return home unharmed.” Any softness in his expression before is replaced with a seriousness that would terrify you were you not already prepared for death. “You will not die. Not on my watch. And certainly not on my ship.”

If he was waiting for an ‘Aye Captain’ he’s going to be sorely disappointed. Instead you stare at him, trying your best to think of a way to convince this man to let you join his crew. But as soon as you open your mouth to speak, a knocking on the door draws his attention away.

“Captain!” a crewman’s voice comes through, muffled by the door.

“Aye, what is it?” he snaps back, obviously upset with the intrusion.

“Ship to starboard, Captain! Red sails!”

“Shit,” he mutters to himself. Then he looks at you and grabs your wrist before heading to the door. “Come with me, lass. I don’t trust you alone.”

“I beg pardon! At least tell me what’s going on!” You stop walking, forcing him to answer your demands.

“We’re going to meet my brother and his crew.” He looks at you. “Y/N, prepare to meet the Red Hood and his great ship _The Outlaw_.”


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing you notice when you step out of the cabin is how harsh the sunlight is out at sea.

The second thing you notice is the red sails of the ship next to the one you’re on.

The third thing you notice is a flash of fiery orange as something swings from _The Outlaw_ and lands right beside you.

Or not some _thing_.

Some _one_.

And not only did that someone jump from their ship and land beside you. They tackled the captain.

You stare with mouth agape as you fully take in what is happening.

A woman with long orange hair is straddling the captain—you note with shock that she, a lady, is wearing _pants_. Her face is next to the captain’s as she peppers light kisses along his neck and cheeks, all the while speaking rapidly in a language you have never heard before.

“Kori, please,” the captain somehow manages to speak with this woman on top of him. When she continues to kiss him he tries again, this time with a gentle push against her shoulders. “Kori! I thought we’d discussed personal space!”

With a little more urging, the woman—Kori—slowly gets off of him. He rises looking incredibly disheveled, though not entirely like he wasn’t enjoying himself.

“Oh I am so sorry, Richard! I just got a little excited.” She grabs his arm and leans toward him as he tries to straighten his coat, and her voice lowers a bit. “I haven’t seen you in so long…”

“Ahem, yes, well,” the captain avoids looking her in the eye. “Now that you have completely made a fool of me in front of my captive and crew, what do you—”

“Who is this, Dick?” Kori cocks her head ever so slightly, for the first time taking notice of you. Her vibrant green eyes seem to have paralyzed you, as you are left staring at her dumbstruck as she saunters over to you.

“That’s my captive, Kori,” the captain—did Kori call him Dick?—gestures to you with exasperation. “And I’d appreciate it if you’d not flirt with the lass.”

“Ah, a captive,” Kori edges closer to you; you feel excessively warm but you can’t tell if it’s due to the Caribbean heat or the woman in front of you. She is extremely beautiful, her skin glowing with the warmth of the sun and fire in her hair; she wears a man’s shirt with a deep cut—not quite so deep as Captain Grayson’s, but if the wind were to shift ever so slightly, her chest would surely be exposed.  
Every fiber of your being is screaming to move away from this woman, but her eyes anchor you and her accent is intoxicating.

She speaks to the captain again without breaking eye contact with you. “I should have known better than to think you could have obtained such a gem by any other means than abduction.”

Dick sighs, almost giving up on trying to restrain the woman. “Y/N, this is Kori, first mate of _The Outlaw_. Now, Kori, please stop harassing my ransom.”

“Y/N,” Kori smiles slightly and leans ever so much closer to you. “A lovely name for a lovely face.”

Your cheeks instantly flush and your eyes grow wide. But still you can’t pull yourself away.

“Most sailors think Kori is a siren of the sea, come ashore to destroy man.” A new voice says, and you break contact with the woman to see a man with bright red hair and serpentine tattoos along his arms standing next to Dick.

You understand how they could think that.

“She’s more like a siren come to be a pain in my ass.” Dick looks at the other man. “Can’t you restrain her at all, Roy?”

“I can’t tell the woman what to do! She’ll beat my arse and kill me in me sleep!” Roy says.

“How about I show you what the women at sea are capable of? I’m sure I could make you never think about a man again.” She leans closer to you, and you can feel her breath against your cheek. But her suggestion somehow knocks a bit of sense back into you. Your face drains of color and you feel like you’re floating as you take a timid step back from this dangerous woman.

But your foot trips on a rope in the process.

Before your mind can register that you were even falling, strong arms catch you.

The same arms that were holding you captive earlier that day.

“Kori, that’s _enough_ ,” the captain’s voice sounds as if he were underwater and not directly above you. “You’ve successfully terrified the poor lass.”

“I would say I’m sorry but that would be a lie.” She straightens her back and crosses her arms. “My offer still stands any time you change your mind, Y/N.”

The way she says your name sends an unwelcome chill down your spine, and you lean closer to Dick. It seems ironic that the very man who captured is now your greatest source of safety.

“Now,” Dick releases you but keeps a hand on your shoulder, though whether it’s a gesture of comfort or one of authority you aren’t quite sure. “What do you lot want?”

“It is the captain, you see, he has been—” Kori starts but Roy cuts her off.

“Jaybird went and got himself arrested.”

“What? How? Where?” Dick’s entire demeanor shifts from pure annoyance to concern.

“He got into a fight at a tavern in Havana.” Roy sighs and moves to stand next to Kori.

“What happened? Did someone insult him? Was it another slave owner?”

Roy and Kori exchange a look before Roy speaks again. “He… got bored. And drunk.”

“Fucking hell.” Dick runs his fingers through his messy hair and heaves an exasperated sigh.

“That’s not all,” Kori continues the story. “He has been sentenced to hanging.”

“ _Fuck_ , Jason!” Dick slams his fist against a nearby post, causing you to flinch. You notice that many of the crew are suddenly incredibly uncomfortable at their captain’s sudden burst of anger.

“We need your help to save him, mate,” Roy says, apparently unfazed by Dick’s outburst. “ _The Outlaw_ is a powerful ship, but she’s not built for speed. We need _The Nightwing.”_

Several minutes of uncomfortable silence is spent with Dick alternating between staring at Roy, Kori, and the weather worn wooden boards of the deck as he thinks about what to do. Part of you wants to return to the cabin or wander around the ship, but the tense silence has you afraid to do anything of the sort. 

“Richard,” Kori finally speaks again with a softened voice, hoping to convince Dick to help them. “Do it for Jason. Do it for us.” 

When he finally speaks again, you hear a new sound of determination in his voice. “Fine. But if he fucks up my ransom deal I’ll hang him myself.” Your heart leaps to your throat when Dick’s blue eyes lock with yours. “You’re coming with me, Miss. You wanted to be a pirate?” 

Your heart starts to flutter and you aren’t sure if you should be terrified or excited. Maybe it’s both. And the smirk on his face before he speaks again doesn’t help your conflicted feelings any. “We’ll show you what it’s like to be a pirate.” 


	3. Chapter 3

The hot sun blares against your face as you follow Dick, Roy, and Kori through the streets of Havana. As much as you wanted to stop and marvel at the new sights all around you, pausing for even a few seconds meant you might get lost in the crowds, and Captain Grayson is having none of that. He glances your way every now and then to make sure you’re keeping up, but for the most part he is discussing what they are about to do.

“So here’s the plan,” Dick says to Roy and Kori as you all turn a corner. “Do you remember that trip with the governor’s daughter Port Royal?”

“Yeah,” Roy says and Kori nods in agreement. From the corner of your eye you notice a couple of men next to a building leering at her, but a sharp glance from Roy sends them back to their own business.

“Think that but crossed with the rum run in Kingston.” Dick nods politely to a couple of royal soldiers patrolling the street.

“Ooh. Spicy,” Roy says. “I like it.”

“I thought you might,” Dick smirks and looks at you. “Y/N.”

“What?” You raise an eyebrow at him; you have absolutely no clue what they’re talking about, and you’re not entirely sure you want to.

“You’re going to be our diversion,” Dick says as you stop several yards from a building with several armed guards pacing in front of the entrance. “I need you to create a crisis to distract the guards out here while Roy and Kori take them out.”

“What kind of diversion—” before you can finish the question Dick has pulled you into his arms and Roy and Kori have disappeared into some nearby bushes.

“Y/N!” He yells, feigning fear and concern. When you look at him in confusion he lowers his voice so only you can hear. “Faint.”

Finally understanding the diversion, you fall limp in his arms and close your eyes as if you have passed out.

“Y/N!!” he yells again and shakes you a bit. “Help, somebody, please! My wife, she’s fainted!”

You hear a flurry of quickened footsteps as the guards approach, and Dick speaks again with a slight tremble in his voice. “Please, help! She’s all I have, and I can’t lose her!”

One of the guards starts to comfort Dick and tell him everything will be alright, but he stops midsentence. When Dick tells you it’s safe you open your eyes to see Roy and Kori hiding the bodies of the guards in a bush. A flash of red on the dirt causes your eyes to go wide as you look at the others.

“Did you-did you kill—” you wouldn’t have been able to finish the statement even if Roy hadn’t cut you off.

“Nah. Or, well. Just one.”

While you attempt to stutter out a shocked response, Kori speaks up. “He pulled his pistol. There was no other choice, Y/N.”

“No other—what do you mean there was no other choice?” Your voice’s pitch raises with your shoulders. “Lives are precious! You can’t just end one like that!”

“Says the woman who was ready to end her own before I grabbed her,” Dick states, and you can’t think of any response other than to just stare at him. He grabs your hand and starts leading you to the door. “Let’s go. We need to be as quick and discreet about this as possible.”

With the main guards taken care of, sneaking through the prison is relatively simple. Dick leads the way, clinging to the walls and avoiding other soldiers as much as possible. Eventually you hear the faint sound of a man rambling somewhere ahead of you, and you notice Dick pick up his pace a bit.

“Red Hood? Nah, me name is Captain Pissoff, mate, you got the wrong man,” Dick stops at the doorway to another room and peeks around the corner.

“Jason’s drunk,” Dick turns to tell Roy and Kori, and they both roll their eyes and sigh. You peek around the corner to see a handsome man—why are all of these pirates so damn pretty?—sitting in a jail cell, practically yelling at the two guards in front of his cell.

“How’d’s it feel to be so incompetent that you nabbed Pissoff instead of the fearsome Red Hood? Huh, mate? Mate? Are ya listening to me?” Jason hobbles to a standing position and leans against the bars of his cell.

“They’re too far away. If we try to engage they’ll kill us before we get there,” Roy whispers.

“Then I guess we have no choice,” Dick pulls his pistol from his belt and fires two shots before you have the chance to even react. Jason just looks mildly startled as Dick leads you all into the room.

“I thought you were a better shot than that,” Jason mumbles as Dick and Kori search the soldiers for the cell keys. Kori finds it in a pocket and passes it to Dick, who walks up to the other captain’s cell.

“And I thought you could hold your whiskey we’re all full of disappointment today,” Dick looks Jason in the eye as he shoves the key in the lock and yanks the cell door open.

Jason walks out of the cell but stumbles and falls against Roy, who pushes him to his feet with a grunt. “Of course we have to saver your ass. Why’d you have to go and pick a fight?”

“Fuck off, mate,” Jason mumbles as he searches for his balance.

“You know these guys?” You look up to see a ratty looking man lying in the cell next to Jason’s, cradling a glass bottle in his arms.

Jason holds his hand next to his mouth as if he’s telling a secret, though the volume of his voice says otherwise. “Never seen ’im before in ma life but he’s a horrible brother and cheats at poker plus he has a penchant for women’s undergarments so I’d best steer clear of him.”

“Only two of those things are true,” Dick waves a finger at him in a strange display of defense.

Jason stares at the stone floor for a few seconds with a furrowed brow before nodding in agreement. “Yeah… You’s a pretty okay brother. But,” Jason gestures at Dick and the motion almost causes him to lose his balance. “He never wears a real damn shirt. I mean look at this. All frills and open down to his navel.”

“Jason, let’s go,” Dick says with an exasperated sigh.

“You are exactly why women in London romanticize pirates instead o’ fearin’ them!”

“Jason.”

“YOU ARE WHAT’S WRONG WITH PIRACY THESE DAYS!” Jason waves his hands about before Roy knocks him over the head.

When you and Dick look at Roy with quizzical expressions, the redhead shrugs. “The last thing we need is one of Jason’s drunken scenes while trying to escape.”

Roy has one of Jason’s arms slung over his shoulder and is leading the way out of the room when the man in the jail cell takes a notice to Kori and starts calling at her. “Hey there pretty lady how’d you like to bring your tits over here for a good time.”

“I’d turn to sea foam before I’d let you even look at them,” Kori dismisses his statement without even looking at the man.

But apparently he doesn’t like that response. His voice raises as he starts speaking again, and Dick slowly pulls you aside so that he is between you and the drunk prisoner.

“Ay, you ain’t nothin’ but a slut and a whore for showing off your tits like that I shoulda—”

“Do you want to know what happened to the last person who called me that?” Kori unsheaths her sword and walks toward the prison cell. The drunken man suddenly looks very uneasy.

“Kori.” Roy says in a warning tone, struggling to keep Jason upright.

“The last man who called me ‘whore’ lost his manhood. The last to call me ‘slut’ felt my blade at his throat,” her calm anger is terrifying, and you are suddenly very glad Dick is between you and the events taking place. Kori is standing directly in front of the prison cell, and the man is cowering in a corner, his liquor bottle forgotten and spilling its contents. “Do you want to be the man who dared to call me both?”

“Kori!” Roy yells as much as he can while trying to still be stealthy. “Leave the man be! We have to go!”

Kori stands in front of the man’s cell for a few more seconds before reluctantly sheathing her blade and rejoining the group. Dick slings Jason’s other arm over his shoulder and together he and Roy lead the way back through the prison halls. All the while Roy keeps muttering under his breath. Something about “dealing with a drunkard and a hothead” and “being the responsible one.”

As you round another corner Jason starts to stir a bit, muttering something incomprehensible and struggling against Roy and Dick’s support. When the other men try pulling Jason forward again, his words become a bit clearer as he resists their action.

“Nononononono, mate,” Jason tries to stand up and move away from Dick and Roy, but Roy hangs on to his arm. “I need me hood.”

“What?” Dick asks.

“Me hood where’s me red hood?” Jason shakes away from Roy’s grasp, and the redhead throws his hands up in defeat and continues muttering out his annoyances at the situation.

“It’s not here, Jason, we have to leave it,” Dick says through clenched teeth.

“I can’t leave me red hood. Would you still call Blackbeard ‘Blackbeard’ without the black beard? No,” Jason staggers a bit, but nobody attempts to prevent him from almost falling. He straightens up and wags his finger at Dick. “I’m Red Hood so I need me fuckin’ red hood.”

“We don’t have time for this!” Dick snaps and grabs Jason by his shirt collar. But suddenly there’s a pistol under Dick’s chin and Jason is the one holding it.

“I need me fucking red hood right now or you’ll be eating lead, mate.” Jason is still obviously drunk, but there’s a sudden sharp glint in his eye that makes you take a nervous step back toward Kori.

Dick and Jason stand like that for a few seconds, staring each other down until Dick finally speaks. “Fine. Stubborn ass. Now give me back my pistol.”

Jason’s vision clears with a stern glare just beyond Dick’s head. He moves the pistol from under Dick’s chin and shoots a guard coming around the corner in one swift motion with the most deadly precision you’ve ever seen; you make a mental note to never find yourself at the receiving end of Jason’s gun.

“I thought you were drunk,” Dick looks at his brother with a raised eyebrow.

Jason staggers back a step or two and twirls the gun in his hand. “I’m me best shot when I’m drunk, Dickie. How’d ya think I managed to survive when ol’ Bruce made Timothy me first mate?”

Dick shakes his head in bewilderment. Jason slams the pistol against Dick’s chest before spinning on his heel to go to the officer’s quarters. “Now. Let’s go get me red hood.”


	4. Chapter 4

Although the sunlight is harsh enough to plainly illuminate everything it touches, Dick and Jason lead you through the shadows and bushes of the jail’s courtyard. Roy and Kori had agreed to go create a diversion after some… persuading from Jason. But honestly you don’t know that your group would have been quite as stealthy if they hadn’t left; you quickly realized that Jason and Roy share loud and relatively playful banter, and Kori draws attention to herself by simply existing—though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

You weren’t entirely sure how they were going to create a distraction, though, especially one that would draw the Commander from his quarters so that Jason can sneak in and recover his belongings. At one point you thought you heard Jason mention the word “fire” to Roy and Kori, but with Jason’s drunken rambling he could have said anything.

But they must have used fire in some way, because just as Dick pulled you into some dense shrubbery across from a heavy door, which you assume is your destination, panic starts to spread among the soldiers.

“Fire! Fire! Somebody get the Captain! Get the Commander! There’s a fire in the stable!” The source of the panic arises from a soldier as he runs to a group of guards a few yards away. The panicked man is barely more than a boy, with a slight figure and a round face. His cheeks are nearly as red as his coat and he holds his rifle awkwardly as if it will explode on him at any time.

“Calm down, lad.” One of the soldiers tries to soothe the younger one.

“You don’t understand,” he says with a pant. “It’s spreading quickly, and I think I saw a couple of pirates running away from the stable.”

“What? Pirates?” a second soldier pipes up.

“Why didn’t you start with that? We’ve got a notorious captain in custody! His crew is sure to come after him!” the first soldier starts getting flustered, and he rushes to the heavy door in front of you, his pace somewhere between a fast walk and a run; his companions follow close behind him.

They aren’t inside the room for very long before they return to the heat of the Havana sun with the youngest soldier leading a man you assume is the commander, if the feathery pompous hat perched on his head is any indicator. As soon as they are out of sight, Jason makes a break for the door, and Dick pulls you along behind him.

The Commander’s office is large and imposing, with fanciful art and finely crafted weapons decorating the room. A set of fine silver pistols and a crimson robe rest on a table behind the desk in the center, and Jason wastes no time in donning the cloak, muttering to it as if it held the touch of a lover. You can’t quite understand what he utters to his cloak, and you get the odd feeling that you should be very thankful for that.

“Jason you and your hood can have a reunion when we get back to my ship,” Dick says without attempting to mask the annoyance in his voice. “They’ll be back any minute and we need to be gone.”

“But, Dickie, we’re pirates. It’d be a shame if we didn’t take a peek about the room. See what we can find that would be better suited for our hands,” as Jason talks he is already moving around the room, peeking in drawers and opening up cabinets, swiping a small treasure here or there. Dick lets out a truly exasperated sigh and rubs his temples with one hand. A wave of nervousness suddenly washes over you at the fear of being caught, and you start fiddling with the lace trimming on your silk skirt.

“Aha!” Jason exclaims as he opens a large cabinet door. He pulls out two large glass bottles and blows dust off the sides before sliding them into his coat pockets. He looks at you with a smug smile. “I knew the bastard’d have a good vintage gin.”

“How can you be thinking of alcohol right now?!” you ask.

“Lass, I am always, always thinking of alcohol,” Jason staggers toward you and Dick, now content with his raid of the room.

“Alright, now we’re leaving,” Dick takes a step toward the door but Jason beats him to it. He busts the door open and you are instantly blinded by the sunlight.

But not too blinded to see that you are surrounded by soldiers. And their rifles are pointed at you, bayonets glinting in the light. You stop in your tracks as soon as this realization hits you, landing you just behind Jason and right in front of Dick.

“Hello, boys!” Jason opens his arms in a wide greeting. “So glad you could make it to the party!”

A harsh yet familiar hand grabs your wrist and pulls it behind your back as Dick pulls you to his chest with his pistol to your side. “If any one of you tries to shoot us, the girl loses her life,” he announces.   
The soldiers all falter at his threat, and while you should be frightened out of your mind, you feel a strange sense of safety in this pirate’s hands.

“Sir, what should we do?” The young soldier from earlier asks the Commander. The older man looks at your trio with an emotionless gaze.

“Kill them.”

Your heart races and your blood starts pounding in your ears; Dick’s grip on your arm tightens and he makes to move you behind him for a fraction of a second before stopping. The soldiers take turns sharing expressions of confusion and concern before glancing at the Commander to see if he is really serious. The young soldier speaks again, “But, sir, the girl—”

“I gave you an order. Kill them. These are two of the most notorious pirates in the Caribbean, and I will not let them get away because you lot got distracted by some pretty little whore!” The Commander’s face reddens as his voice raises. The soldiers mutter to themselves before raising their weapons again.

“Well, if that’s how you want to play it,” Jason shrugs and lights a match before pulling a handful of cast iron balls with small fuses out of his pocket. He lights them before anyone can react and tosses them at the soldiers. “Catch!”

Before the first grenade makes it to explode, Dick is already in action. He releases the arm he’d been holding and grabs your free one in a more gentle and comfortable grip before making a dash to break through the line of soldiers around you; though Jason’s distraction made that relatively simple.

“Jason! Come on!” Dick shouts at his brother. Jason heaves a sigh and rolls his eyes before whipping out his pistol and shooting the Commander in the head. You yelp at the sight and trip on your skirts slightly. Dick’s grip tightens to keep you from falling behind him, and Jason runs with you while the soldiers recover from the shock of the grenades and the sudden death of their Commander.

You run for what feels like an eternity, dashing from shadow to shadow in an attempt to remain unseen by any more guards. More than once you stumbled on rocks or your skirts, and you began cursing the stays under your dress for restricting your breathing.

Eventually Dick and Jason stop at a small cliff overlooking part of the prison. You take a minute to catch your breath before realizing that Roy and Kori are sitting on the cliff watching the closest building with great care.

Jason walks to the edge of the cliff and plops down between the two of them before pulling out one of the Commander’s gin bottles and opening the top. “Alright,” he says before taking a swig of gin. “What are we watching?”

“We’re waiting for you to come out of that building just in case you need cover,” Roy says without looking away from the door.

“Yes, and then we will wait here until you, Dick, and Y/N arrive here to return to the ship,” Kori adds.

“Sounds like a plan, then,” Jason says and takes another drink. He leans back on his hands and swings his legs for a few seconds until Kori and Roy’s backs stiffen.

“Oh! Jason!” Kori announces. She turns around to face you and Dick. “Richard! Y/N! You all made it back!”

“You two realize we were nowhere close to that building, right?” Dick asks with a flat expression. Kori looks at Roy and the redhead shrugs. They both open their mouths to explain themselves, but Dick cuts them off. “Don’t bother. We survived, and we’re here. Now let’s get back to the ship before Jason gets us into any more trouble.”

Dick says something else but it sounds muffled and far away; almost as if you were underwater. Your entire body feels as though it’s on fire. Your head feels light as you try to catch your breath, but it feels like you can’t get enough air. Your vision begins to blur and gray as you feel yourself falling.

You can barely make out the sound of Dick’s voice calling your name, and a pair of piercing blue eyes veiled by a halo of black are the last thing you manage to see.

Then there’s nothing but darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has commented so far! You really make me feel like this series is actually halfway decent lol
> 
> Sorry this chapter is so much shorter than most of the ones in this series; this scenario wasn’t originally supposed to be quite this long, and it felt more natural to leave this as one chapter than to try to move it along.

Floating.

The sensation of floating overcomes you as you drift through a black fog. Every part of your body feels heavy as steel, but somewhere in the distance you hear the gentle roar of water crashing against water. You focus on it, and steadily the sound grows louder. Creaking wood joins the roar of water.

A sudden wet heaving sound breaks the soothing sounds of wood and water.

“GOD DAMMIT JASON PUKE IN THE BLOODY BUCKET NOT ME BOOT!” a voice yells and startles you awake.

You open your eyes and scan the room frantically. Blue curtains line the windows above you, and you realize that you are lying in a bed with thick, luxurious blankets. A man with white streaked black hair is lying on a cot with a bucket by his side, and a red headed man sits next to him cursing up a storm. Nothing seems familiar to you, and panic starts growing in the pit of your stomach.

“Roy! Not so loud!” a female voice scolds, and you realize it is coming from directly beside you. A beautiful woman with a long, flaming hair and a low cut shirt sits by your side.

“IT’S NOT MY FAULT HE CAN’T USE THE FUCKING BUCKET!” the redheaded man snaps back at her. The woman shakes her head at Roy and turns to face you.

“Oh, Y/N! You’re finally awake!” she reaches to touch your hand but you jerk away from her.

“Who are you? How do you know my name?” You scoot away from her until your back hits wood. “Who are any of you? What am I doing here?!”

The woman looks startled, then her brow furrows with concern. “It’s us, Y/N. I’m Kori. That’s Roy and that’s Jason.” She leans toward you again and reaches out her hand.

“Don’t touch me!” You all but shriek. Then you make a realization. “Pirates. Pirates? Oh, my god you’re all pirates.” You start taking heaving gasps for air; your lungs feel like they have a sudden pressure against them, and you can’t seem to get enough air. Tears start running down your face and your heart is racing.

“This isn’t good.” Kori says, more to herself than anyone else.

“What should we do?” Roy asks. He is standing now, though he looks completely lost as to what he should be doing.

“What do you want with me?!” You manage to ask between gasps.

Kori turns to Roy. “Go get Richard. Quickly!”

The redhead runs out of the cabin and Kori turns to you again. “It’s okay, Y/N. We aren’t going to hurt you.” She moves her hand as if she is going to try touching you again, and you pull your legs up to your chest.

“NO! DON’T TOUCH ME!” You scream, voice hysterical. Tears completely blur your vision, and every time you think you see someone move you try moving away from it. “Don’t touch me don’t hurt me please what am I doing here oh my god I’ve been captured by pirates—”

“Y/N!” A faintly familiar man’s voice calls your name and a dark figure enters your blurry field of vision. Rough hands firmly grab your flailing wrists and you start screaming more.

“NO PLEASE DON’T KILL ME I’LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT—” You aren’t breathing properly anymore, and you can’t form a coherent thought or sentence.

“Y/N, breathe! Look at me!” The voice is firm yet slightly calming. The man’s hands release your wrists and hold either side of your face, forcing you to look toward him. You shut your eyes and move your hands to push against his chest, but he just pulls you closer until his forehead rests against yours. “Look at me, dammit!”

For some reason you listen to him.

You blink a few times until the tears dissipate enough for you to stare into the man’s piercing blue eyes. Blue eyes that are as deep as the sea.

“Remember me,” he says. It’s a demand but his voice is soft and pleading. Tension slowly leaves your arms.

“Dick?” you ask in a small voice. He wipes away your last tears with the pads of his thumbs as he nods ever so slightly. “Dick…” You say his name again as you wrap your arms around him and fall into his embrace, tucking your face into the crook of his neck. “I couldn’t remember anything… I was so scared.”

“It’s alright, lass,” Dick rubs your back as you slowly calm down. “You’re safe now. You’ll always be safe with me.”


End file.
